Holding On To You
by ultimatexbarbie
Summary: The story of two people, pressured & hunted by their family's past, who find love and comfort in each other's arms.
1. I - Thoughts

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, names, places or anything else from World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. I only own the pure imagination used to write this fanfiction.

 **A/N: First chapter of Holding On To You, a story that portraits how two people, pressured & hunted by their family's past , find love and comfort in each other's arms.**

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Family. A simple word with so much meaning. Everyone says it's all you have in life, all that you can trust and rely on when things get hard. You are supposed to love them unconditionally, no matter what happens because they are your family. What if your family is nothing more than a group of people who make you feel miserable when you don't follow their footsteps? Who constantly pressure you and hunt you with "their legacy" making sure you will be no one if you don't carry on what you were supposed to? Is that still called a family?

Charlotte always wondered how it would be if she wasn't a Flair. Would she have the same opportunities? Would she even be in the WWE? Would she be happier?

She couldn't help feeling guilty for all these thoughts but they were stronger than her. She loved her family but sometimes she just wanted to be "normal". Not feeling the pressure of being a Flair and carry on their legacy. I mean, her father was Ric Flair: the 16x time World Heavyweight Champion. That was something too unbearable to deal with sometimes. It felt like she was being hunted by a current nightmare that just doesn't go away.

And once again, she felt sick for thinking like that. It's her father for God's sake.

 _"Stop Charlotte! You need to stop and move on from this."_

As she shook her head, she could feel someone entering the locker room.

 _"Hey Charlotte!"_

She looked up and she saw the smile of her beautiful friend Sasha.

 _"Hey."_

 _"Hum… what's wrong girl? You seem down today."_

 _"Oh it's nothing."_ – said Charlotte trying to maintain her composure and fake a smile towards her friend.

 _"You sure? You know you can always talk to me."_

 _"Positive. Just a little tired. Been training quite a lot lately."_

 _"You need to slow down a bit. You are pushing too hard. It's not like you are the champion anymore…"_ – mocked Sasha by showing off her new title and trying to make her friend smile.

That really did bring a smile to Charlotte's face. If she was going to lose her title to someone, it was Sasha. She had been working so hard and she deserved to be the new champion.

 _"Oh don't worry sister, I'll take that away from you eventually."_

 _"Can't wait."_ – answered Sasha with a grin.

Charlotte had lost her title on Raw and in a way, she felt free. She loved being champion but lately she was feeling overwhelmed with all the pressure from her father. Training every day, watching old matches… She didn't even have time to breathe. She knew he wasn't happy about the lost. He kept calling her but she just stopped answering. She just wanted some space right now. Be free for a while.

She packed her bag, hugged Sasha and left the locker room towards the parking lot. Even though most people don't like second or third generation superstars, everyone loved Charlotte. She always tried to stay away from her father even when WWE decided to have him as her manager. She wanted to be so much more than just Ric Flair's daughter. That's why she trained hard, always tried to learn from all the trainers. She wanted to make a name for herself, more than just Flair.

All her thoughts kept her busy and she reached her car sooner than she thought. She grabbed the car keys and opened the trunk to put her bags in. As she closed the trunk, she heard tires scratching the floor. A big, black SUV entered the parking lot at full speed.

 _"Seems like someone isn't having a good day as well."_

As soon as she turned around to open the door, the car stopped right next to her, making Charlotte jump in fear.

 _"What the hell?!"_

A 6 feet and 3 inch man got out of the car, slamming the door behind him. He seemed angry at something and didn't even noticed that he almost had ran over Charlotte.

 _"Hey! Can you see where you going? You almost ran me over!"_

The big guy finally turned around and Charlotte got to see his face. It was Roman Reigns.

 _"Sorry. I didn't see you."_

 _"Well next time, you should pay more attention to where you park your car. Make sure there is no people in there. So stupid…"_

 _"I didn't mean to…"_

 _Charlotte didn't even le_ t him finish his sentence. She slammed the door in his face, turned the car on and drove.

Roman couldn't help but feel bad for what he had done.

 _"Real nice Roman. Almost running over a girl. That's just the cherry of top of this stupid day."_

He grabbed his bag and walked towards the hallway, thinking how bad a day can turn out to be. Honestly, he just wanted some peace for once.

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 **A/N: Brand new story from me. Decided to base myself a little on the fact that they are both coming from wrestling families and created a little something. Reviews are always appreciated to keep me going. Hope you enjoy it!**


	2. II - Starting Over

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, names, places or anything else from World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. I only own the pure imagination used to write this fanfiction.

 **A/N: Second Chapter of Holding On To You. This time I decided to show Roman's POV and a little of his background story.**

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 _Peace:_ _Freedom from disturbance; tranquility._

Something that Roman Reigns didn't have in quite some time. Ever since WWE decided to break up The Shield, Roman had been put in the spotlight by management. They tried really hard to make him the new face of the business but for some reason the WWE Universe just never backed him up. Even when we won the WWE World Heavyweight Title, they disliked him even more. Not that he didn't try his best to succeed. I guess people are never happy and it just wasn't his time. Suddenly, WWE ended up "dropping the ball" on him as he had lost his main event spot to Finn Bálor. Now, it was time for a new adventure or at least get some rest from all the chaos that had been going on the previous months.

As he walked through the hallway, Roman just couldn't help but feel relieved. It was up to Seth and Finn to main event SummerSlam and he was finally able to focus on something else. Although his family wasn't exactly happy about that fact that he wasn't "The Guy" anymore.

" _Hey Big Guy!"_ – Someone shouted.

Roman turned his head and saw Seth Rollins walking towards him.

" _What's up man?"_

" _Just relaxing. What about you? I heard Stephanie and Mick are talking about putting you against Rusev next week."_

" _Yeah. I got a call last night."_

" _Jezz, you don't seem excited at all."_

" _Not exactly. I was hoping to get some time off actually."_

" _You should talk to them then. You do look tired man."_

" _Yeah…"_

Even if he wanted, Roman knew that he couldn't get time off. His cousin Dwayne was the one who asked Stephanie to book a new storyline for him, which actually pissed him off. He hated when his family messed with his career. He didn't want success because he was related to The Rock. But on the other hand, he knew that if he started a discussion, all the family would turn against him.

" _Are you okay dude? You seem off lately."_

" _Nothing's wrong man. Just tired. Of all…"_

" _Wait… what do you mean of all?"_

" _Just forget it man… I'll see you later."_

Roman grabbed his suitcase and left, leaving Seth really intrigued about his friend. He knew something was wrong and he was going to find out what that was.

As he got to his locker room, Roman opened his bag and reached for his workout clothes. For the time being, he just wanted to train and keep his head busy. He felt like he needed a new start, away from all the Main Event spotlight. He did love being champion but he just couldn't stop thinking about that fact that everyone believed that he was just there thanks to his family name.

" _I hate this!"_

In a split second, there was a punch through the wall. Roman's anger and frustration took the best of him. But in a way, it felt good releasing all that. It was too much lately and he just wanted something new to hold on to. Maybe faith, maybe hope, maybe a new goal. He didn't know what it was but one thing was for sure: he wanted to show everyone who Roman Reigns really was, more than just family legacy. A true competitor in search of his future, by his own.

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 **A/N: That's the end for now! The next chapters will definitely have more interaction between characters and the Roman/Charlotte relationship will start to build up. Reviews are always appreciated, hope you enjoy it!**


	3. III - An Unexpected Invite

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, names, places or anything else from World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. I only own the pure imagination used to write this fanfiction.

 **A/N: In this chapter, there will be a lot more interaction among characters as well as the "re-encounter" between Charlotte and Roman.**

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As she drove back to her hotel, Charlotte couldn't stop thinking about what had just happen moments before.

" _Woah! Can't believe I almost got ran over. And by Roman Reigns. He looked so angry though… Something serious must have happened. "_

She didn't know much about Roman except for the fact that he was related to The Rock and he started with the whole "The Shield" faction. I mean, it's not like she ever tried to know more about him. He was always so mysterious and he wasn't the most outgoing guy in the roster.

Suddenly, a ring interrupted her thoughts. Charlotte picked up her phone:

" _Hello?"_

" _Hey girl! Where are you?"_

She knew that voice pretty well. It was Becky Lynch.

" _On my way to the hotel. Pretty tired today so I decided to get some rest."_

" _Oh hell no! Don't tell me that you forgot…"_

" _Forgot? What are you talking about?"_

" _Oh my God, you did…"_

" _Becky, can you please explain? I'm not following you right now… What exactly did I forget?_

" _Paige's birthday dinner."_

" _Oh my God… I totally forgot about that. Can't believe it…"_

With all that was going on with her and the whole parking lot scene, Charlotte completely forgot about her friend's birthday dinner.

" _So sorry Becks. Just a lot going through right now."_

" _It's fine girl. But you are coming right? Paige will never forgive you if you miss it."_

" _Yeah, I'm going. I get a quick shower at the hotel and I meet you all at the restaurant."_

" _Okay. Please make sure you are there at 8."_

" _No problem."_

" _K. See you soon."_

As Charlotte rang up the phone, she finally reached the hotel. She grabbed her stuff and walked towards her room. She was feeling so tired and honestly, she wasn't in the mood to party. However, Paige was one of her best friends so she couldn't miss her party. She would try to put on a happy face at least for tonight.

{WWE arena}

Training always made Roman feel so much better, even after a crappy day. He was still shocked that his temper almost made him run over a girl. He wanted to apologize but honestly, he didn't know Charlotte that well. He didn't know how she would react or even talk to him after that.

" _Feeling better?"_

Roman heard Seth's voice coming into the locker room.

" _What do you mean? I always feel good."_

" _Yeah right… Don't try to fool me man. I know something is bugging you. Spit it out."_

" _Everything's fine man. Seriously."_

" _Can you explain that then?"_

Seth pointed at the big whole in the locker room wall, leaving Roman with no choice but to admit something was wrong.

" _Just got a bit angry, that's all."_

" _A bit? Dude, you punched the wall! What the hell is going on?"_

" _Just some family issues. Don't really want to talk about it okay?_

Seth knew he couldn't push Roman into that conversation. He knew his friend had a lot going on with his family and they weren't exactly supportive when things went bad. Seth was actually thankful that he didn't have any family in the business.

" _Fine man, I get it. If you need to talk, I'm always here."_

" _I know. Thanks man."_

" _You know what? I got just the right solution for your problem."_

" _What's that?"_

" _A birthday dinner."_

" _What?"_

" _It's Paige's birthday tonight and we are all going to have dinner together."_

" _Who is we?"_

" _Me, Becky, Sasha, Finn and Charlotte."_

One of those names kept Roman thinking.

" _Charlotte. Maybe it's the right time to approach her and apologize for being a dick earlier tonight. But what if I ruin Paige's dinner? God… I don't know about this…"_

" _Earth calls Roman! Dude, did you hear what I said?"_

" _Yeah, yeah… Seth, I don't know if that's a good idea. Not in the mood for parties right now."_

" _It's a great idea. It will cheer you up. Besides you never go out man, you need to socialize."_

Seth was right. Roman couldn't even think about the last time he went out. Lately he would just stay home with his daughter, doing nothing really.

" _I don't want to be a party killer…"_

" _You won't. I will make sure of that. It's going to be fun!"_

" _Fine… Just let me get a shower and grab some nice clothes at home."_

" _No problem. Dinner's at 8 at the Landscape restaurant."_

" _See you there then."_

" _See ya."_

Roman packed his things and headed back to his place. He still wasn't sure if he made the right decision by going out with them but it was too late to call it off. Hopefully, it was the right choice.

{Charlotte's Hotel Room}

" _Blue dress: check. High heel silver shoes: check. Wallet: check. Car keys: check. I guess that's everything…"_

Charlotte looked in the mirror and even though she was going through a hard time, she was actually excited about going out. She loved that blue dress. It made her feel like a princess.

" _Nothing like a good night out to release the stress, right Char?"_

She grabbed her keys and left the room. Got into her car, turned on the radio and drove towards the restaurant. If there was something Charlotte loved, it was loud music. It felt like going into another dimension.

Quickly she realized that she had reached her destination point when her friends Sasha, Becky and Paige waved at her. She parked her car and opened the door.

" _Oh my God, you look so pretty! I almost feel like you are the birthday girl, not me."_ – said Paige.

" _No way! You look like a queen and that's coming from me."_ – answered Charlotte giving her friend a big hug. – _"Happy Birthday sweetheart."_

" _Thank you!"_ – said Paige with a smile.

" _Can't believe the guys are not here yet! And they say we ladies are always late. Big lie!"_

" _Couldn't agree more Sasha."_

" _Chill girls… I'm sure they will be right here in a second."_

" _Charlotte is right. However, you two look too anxious… Is it because Finn and Seth are coming?"_ – said Paige with a devious smile.

" _I have no idea what you are talking about…"_ – Said Becky.

" _Same as me."_ – replied Sasha quickly.

" _Yeah right… Like we believe it."_

Paige and Charlotte knew their friend's feeling towards the boys: Sasha and Becky had been crushing on Finn and Seth since NXT days but they were always too shy to make a move.

Suddenly, the girls saw a silver Honda making its way towards the parking lot. Out of it came Seth and Finn, looking super attractive.

" _Gosh, someone dressed up tonight. Is it a special occasion?"_ – said Paige.

" _I guess so… it's your birthday right?"_ – mocked Seth.

" _Ahaha, so funny."_

Paige and Seth gave each other a big hug. They always had this brother and sister connection since they started on NXT.

" _Glad you could come too Finn!"_ – said Paige hugging him as well.

" _Thank you for inviting me. And looking good ladies!"_ – said Finn towards Sasha and Becky.

" _Thank you…"_ – answered Sasha who couldn't help but blush a bit.

" _Is your boyfriend joining us Paige?"-_ asked Charlotte, trying to help Sasha hide her facial expressions towards Finn.

" _Oh no… He is on a tour. He really tried to schedule for some other time but it was impossible. But at least I have you guys for tonight!"_

" _True indeed! And trust me sister, we are a lot funnier."_ – said Seth with a grin on his face.

" _Are we going in? To be honest I'm getting hungry."_ – said Becky.

" _Just wait a second… I hope you don't mind Paige but I invited a friend."_

" _No problem. I mean it's not Dean is it?"_

Paige couldn't stand Dean Ambrose. He always acted like he was the best thing around and that pissed her off. She honestly didn't know how he and Seth were friends.

" _Ahaha, not it's not Ambrose. And by the way, cut the guy some slack Paige. He's a nice dude."_

" _Yeah right… when his mouth is shut maybe."_

Suddenly, the group saw a black SUV parking right next to them and Charlotte immediately recognized it.

" _Oh hell no…"_

" _What Char?"_ – asked Sasha.

Roman Reigns left his car looking handsome as ever. Even the guys were surprised by how good he looked.

" _Wow dude, you really brought up your A-game tonight."_ – said Finn.

" _Thanks but it's not a big deal."_

" _Actually it kind of is. You look great! I'm glad you could join us."_ – said Paige hugging him. She really liked Roman: he was always so nice to her and couldn't understand why most people thought he wasn't a good guy.

Quickly Roman's attention turned to Charlotte. For the first time in a while, he actually felt intimidated by someone's presence. And she also looked stunning in that blue dress.

" _Charlotte."_

" _Roman."_

All the group felt like there was something going on but no one said a thing.

" _Well… let's go inside everyone. So starving!"_ – said Paige trying to light up the mood.

" _Yeah, she's right. C'mon."_ – agreed Finn.

All seven decided to go into the restaurant. In the meantime, Seth pulled Roman's arm:

" _Dude, is there something going on between you and Charlotte? The way she was looking at you… It looked like fire was coming out of her eyes."_

" _Yeah…"_

" _What do you mean yeah? Tell me what's going on!"_

" _Let's go inside. I'll tell you what happened."_

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 **A/N: Sorry about the big chapter but I kind of got carried away ahaha. Got really inspired doing this one, hope you like it! Reviews are always appreciated**


	4. IV - Apology

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, names, places or anything else from World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. I only own the pure imagination used to write this fanfiction.

 **A/N: Finally Roman and Charlotte interact after their first (bad!) encounter. Let's see how both react and what unrolls after that.**

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Paige's birthday dinner was going great: everyone seemed to be having fun, sharing stories and entertaining moments with each other. However, everybody could feel like something was going on between Charlotte and Roman since they weren't able to make eye contact with one another and tried to avoid any conversation.

" _Can you now tell me what's going on with you and blondie?"_ – asked Seth.

" _Do I have to?"_ – said Roman.

" _Dude… spit it out."_

Roman really wanted to dodge that conversation but he knew Seth wasn't going to let that go.

" _I sort of almost ran her over in the parking lot…"_

" _You what?!"_ – shouted Seth which made all the others stare at him – _"Sorry guys… just a convo between me and big guy over here. Got a little excited."_

" _Can you keep your voice down man? It's embarrassing enough…"_

" _Sorry but that's insane! I mean was she hurt? What did you do?"_

" _She was fine. I was able to stop before I hit her. She pretty much left after that without even allowing me to apologize."_

" _You didn't apologize? Dude, that's just wrong…"_

" _She didn't even let me talk Seth. What was I supposed to do?"_

" _Go after her maybe? I mean, you almost ran her over… That's not exactly a little mistake."_

" _I know. I keep thinking about that day and I really do want to apologize… I just don't know how."_

" _Are you scared?"_ – mocked Seth – _"That's the first time I see you afraid of talking to a girl."_

" _Not funny. I just don't even know her that well… It's a weird situation."_

" _Not weird. Easy. Just go over to her and say you need to tell her something. I know Charlotte and I'm sure she will at least listen to you. Not so sure if she will forgive you though."_

" _Easier said than done."_

" _Come on man. Look, she's at the bar, by herself. It's the best opportunity."_

Roman knew Seth was right. It was the best time to get Charlotte alone and apologize. It was time to "man up". He walked over to the bar and sited down next to her. Suddenly, Charlotte noticed Roman was standing next to her and turned her back on him.

" _Please, don't go. I need to talk to you."_

" _We don't have anything to talk about."_

As Charlotte tried to leave, Roman grabbed her hand gently. Charlotte could feel a chill all over her body.

" _Look, I know I'm probably the last guy you want to see right now but please just listen to me for two minutes."_

Charlotte turned to him and their eyes locked for the first time. For some reason, his eyes looked so sincere to her: she just stood there with no reaction.

" _I'm sorry. Really sorry. I should have said this sooner but I didn't know how. We never talked before and our first encounter was me almost running you over. I was a jerk and I don't expect you to forgive me. I just needed to apologize, you deserve that."_

Charlotte didn't know what to do. In her head, she wanted to scream at him but her heart was telling her that he was being sincere. Quickly, she realized Roman was still holding her hand.

" _Oh sorry about that…"_ – said Roman letting go of her hand – _"I understand if you don't even_ _want to look at my face. I'll go."_

" _Wait…"_

Roman locked eyes with Charlotte once again and it was his time to be mesmerized by them.

" _It's fine… I know you didn't mean to and it's not like I gave you time to apologize either."_

" _Yeah but still… I should at least tried to reach you before, not taking this long."_

" _It's alright. Water under the bridge okay?"_ – said Charlotte smiling at him.

" _You sure? Did I hurt you or anything?"_

" _No, the car didn't even touch me. You don't need to be worried anymore okay?"_

" _Alright. But let me make it up to you."_ – answered Roman smiling back at her.

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Let me cook you dinner. My place."_

" _What?"_ – Said Charlotte surprised – _"You really don't have to…"_

" _I insist. I was a jerk and I need to make it up for that. But don't worry I'm a much better cook than I'm a driver."_

That made Charlotte laugh. Something that she didn't do in a while actually.

" _Okay, I accept."_

" _Good. Here's my address."_ – said Roman as we wrote his address on a piece of paper. – _"Tomorrow at 7pm, is that okay for you?"_

" _Yeah, it's fine."_ – said Charlotte smiling.

Roman just kept thinking how beautiful her smile was: he never really paid attention to woman in a while especially woman who worked in the business. He had gone through a hard divorce and since then he didn't exactly wanted a new relationship. However, Charlotte was definitely gorgeous, her smile could light up a room.

" _I guess we should go back to our table before they all think we went missing."_ – said Charlotte.

" _You're right. Let's go."_

Both went back to their table just in time to sing Happy Birthday to Paige.

" _Thank you so much for this night guys."_ – said Paige with a big smile. _"You all turned this night a lot more special."_

" _Anytime sister."_ – said Seth hugging Paige.

After finishing the cake, the group decided to head back to their hotel rooms. As they were entering the parking lot, Seth pushed Roman aside.

" _So, what happened between you and Charlotte? You were at the bar alone for ages."_

" _Nothing special. I apologize and she accepted my apologies. She's actually really wonderful to talk to."_ – said Roman trying to hide his smile.

" _Woah… wonderful right? Is that a smile on your face? What are you hiding from me dude?"_

" _Ahaha, nothing man. Charlotte's really nice, that's all."_

" _Hum… I'll try to believe that's all that is."_

" _You should. I'm heading back to my hotel. See you tomorrow."_

" _Bye man."_

As roman opened his SUV door, he could spot Charlotte on the other side of the parking lot. She noticed he was looking at her and she couldn't help but smile and blush a bit.

" _Why are you blushing Charlotte? Get it together, he's just a guy."_

Roman saw her smile and got mesmerized by it once again. He couldn't explain why she made him feel like that but it was a good feeling. He closed the car door and drove back to his hotel. Roman was actually excited about their dinner together and for some odd reason, Charlotte was all he could thinking about from that night's dinner.

Charlotte saw Roman driving away and kept thinking that he was in fact a nice and charming guy.

" _So Char… Can you tell me what Roman did to you that kept you smiling the rest of the night?"_ – asked Sasha, who was indeed happy for seeing her friend smile at last.

" _Nothing. We just talked, that's all. Don't start creating little stories in your head Sasha."_

" _I'm not! But you were down all night until the two of you talked. I'm just happy really, I missed seeing you smile. Remind me to thank Roman for that tomorrow."_

" _You're silly. I'm going alright? See you tomorrow girl."_ – said Charlotte giving her friend a hug.

" _Alright, see you tomorrow."_

As she drove back to her hotel, Charlotte felt happy. She thought the night was going to be a miss but ended up being a lot more than she expected.

" _Who would thought Roman was in fact a nice guy after all? He has the most penetrating eyes thought… Beautiful indeed. Gosh Char, keep it together!"_

In a way she didn't want to admit that Roman had a strange impact on her but at the same time she couldn't stop thinking about him and the dinner they were going to have the following day.

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 **A/N: So happy with this chapter actually, love this two together. Would you like me to add other paring in this story as well? Let me know. Reviews are always appreciated =)**


	5. V - Falling In Love

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, names, places or anything else from World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. I only own the pure imagination used to write this fanfiction.

 **A/N: New chapter! Pretty excited about this one since it's the big "date" between Roman and Charlotte. Thank you so much for all the reviews, keep them coming!**

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Standing in front of the mirror, Charlotte couldn't help but be a bit nervous about having dinner with Roman. It was just a few days ago that he almost ran her over and now they were going to have dinner together. Charlotte wanted to say no but for some reason Roman seemed like a genuine nice guy. And true to be told, it was a good way to apologize.

Charlotte took a last look in the mirror: skinny jeans, a white blouse showing just a small amount of cleavage and her hair was into a braid. She gave the finishing touch with a nude lipstick and dressed her leather jacket. Charlotte always wanted to look good but also she didn't want to go overdressed. Besides, it was a casual dinner not a date. Or at least that's what she thought.

After setting up the dinner table, Roman looked at it and felt like something was missing.

" _Oh I know what it is."_

He reached for the drawer and got a candle. It's not like Roman wanted this to be a date but after the whole parking lot accident, he felt like he really needed to make it up to Charlotte.

He went to his room to get dressed and as soon as he got out, someone was knocking on the door. For some odd reason, it made Roman feel a chill down his spine. He opened the door and Charlotte was standing in front of him.

" _Hi, I hope I'm not here too soon."_

" _Oh no, don't worry. You are just in time. Please get in."_ – smiled Roman.

" _Thank you."_ – said Charlotte smiling back at him.

As soon as she got in, Charlotte noticed how his house was actually really nice and tidy which surprised her.

" _Wow."_

" _What? Is there something wrong?"_

" _No, on the contrary. You have a lovely house, everything is so tidy."_

" _You seem surprised."_ – said Roman, laughing a bit.

" _I'm sorry… I didn't mean to be rude…"_ – said Charlotte feeling embarrassed.

" _You weren't. I know most people think us guys are all messy but I like to keep my place as clean and tidy as I can."_ – said Roman as he got ready to serve dinner- _"Please take a sit. I'll start serving us dinner."_

" _Okay."_

Charlotte was amazed how everything looked so good: the table, the environment, even the food looked amazing.

" _I got to say that I'm impressed."_

" _Why is that?_

" _I wasn't expecting this at all. I mean the food is amazing, you even got a candle to set the mood… Impressive."_

" _I hope you are not feeling like this is weird or something… I'm not very used to have people in my house especially not a woman."_ – said Roman.

" _Wow I actually feel special now."_ – said Charlotte smiling.

" _You have a beautiful smile you know that?_

Roman couldn't believe that those words had just came out of his mouth.

" _Well thank you… It's nothing special."_ – Charlotte never knew how to react to compliments but that one actually made her feel strange. A good strange.

" _But it is. You should smile more, it looks good on you."_ – said Roman giving her a shy smile.

" _Look who's talking. I got say you look pretty charming when you smile which you don't do very often. I actually had this whole different idea about you."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _I don't know… I always seen you as a very mysterious guy. You don't talk much or smile to people. You are very quiet all the time."_

" _Yeah, I know I'm not very approachable. It's just the way I am, I like to keep things to myself."_

" _Well, you should relax a bit more. And smile, don't forget that."_

" _Haha, alright I'll keep that in mind."_ – said Roman exchanging smiles with Charlotte. – _"Go sit there on the sofa, I'll go get us some coffee."_

" _Oh I feel useless now, you are doing everything. Let me help you."_

" _No no, you are my guest..."_

" _But I insist, give me that…"_ – said Charlotte as she grabbed her plate at the same time that Roman did. Their hands touched and their eyes locked.

" _Oh sorry…"_ – apologized Roman.

" _You don't have to apologize all the time, it's fine."_ – smiled Charlotte thinking how stunning his eyes were.

" _I'll take this… Just chill over there, I'll be with you in a minute."_

They both let go of their hands and Roman felt odd. He went into the bathroom just so that we could get out of that situation. That odd feeling wasn't bad, it was actually good. Butterflies in is stomach.

" _What is wrong with you? Kept it together… Don't mess things up with her once again."_

Roman didn't know how to process all those feelings. He had gone through a difficult divorce and he had promised himself not to get involved with anyone else so soon. However, there was something about Charlotte that was special. Every time he looked at her, the whole world stopped. It was like it was just the two of them and he just couldn't understand why she was making him feel that way.

In the living room, Charlotte was conflicted with her feelings as well. How is that Roman Reigns, a guy that wasn't even close to her before, was making her feeling all these emotions?

" _Oh god, he is going to think I'm insane… What am I doing here? Maybe this whole dinner was a big mistake…"_

Suddenly, Charlotte noticed a picture of Roman and his cousin The Rock on the table.

" _Admiring my cousin's picture?"_ – said Roman brining two coffee pots to the table.

" _Oh not really… To be honest I'm not his biggest fan. Sorry about it."_

" _No need to apologize seriously. It's not like everyone needs to be his fan although he has a legion of them. Unlike me."_

Charlotte was surprised with his remark.

" _What do you mean unlike you?"_

" _It's not like I'm the most popular guy between the fans, you know…"_

" _Oh c'mon… You have so many people who love you! Just because you went through a hard time it doesn't mean that people hate you."_

" _Yeah I wish my family thought the same way you do."_

" _Aren't they supportive?"_

" _They are, when things are good. When things get bad, not so much."_

Charlotte could relate to those words so much. Her father wasn't exactly supportive either when she wasn't on top of the business.

" _I know what you mean… Being Ric Flair's daughter is always the best thing in the world either."_ – said Charlotte trying to hide the sadness.

Roman could sense that conversation was also painful for Charlotte. Both of them had the pressure of their families all the time and sometimes it was too much to handle. That was another thing that he and Charlotte had in common.

"Hey…"- said Roman lifting her head up – "Don't be sad. You're a lot more than just a Flair alright? Don't let that take away your smile."

Now it was time for Charlotte to feel butterflies in her stomach as Roman looked into her eyes. He was being such a nice guy to her and honestly he didn't have to. She didn't know if he was doing that just to apologize for the accident but it felt good.

"It's hard to smile sometimes you know? But thank you for being nice."

"It's not about being nice Charlotte. I'm being serious. You're so talented, don't let anyone make you feel like you're not. And you're stunning… it's kind of hard not to stare at you all the time…"

That comment made Charlotte blush. Was he trying to flirt with her? She didn't know but she went on with it.

" _Coming from you it's quite a compliment… Besides you're talking about me but it's not like you can't have any woman you want."_

" _Why do you think that?"_

" _Because you're charming and seriously handsome. I see how all women go crazy when you show up in the ring. Don't pretend like you don't see it too…"_

" _I honestly don't pay much attention to women these days… except my daughter obviously. She's the only woman in my life."_

In that moment Charlotte thought it was time to stop with the flirting.

" _It's clear that he is not into you Char… just let go of it…"_

" _I understand… I should get going now… You probably want to be with your daughter and I don't want to take your time. "_

Roman realized that something made Charlotte feel unwanted. His daughter was his life but not in a way that another woman couldn't have a place in it.

" _Hey… don't go."_ – said Roman grabbing Charlotte's hand – _"Please, stay."_

" _Look it's fine. I really enjoyed tonight's dinner and it was more than enough to apologize for everything."_

" _You think I did all this just because I felt guilty?"_

" _I don't know, maybe… I don't want to waste anymore of your time Roman. I'll just go and…"_

Roman didn't even let Charlotte finish her sentence. He pulled her next to him and kissed her. Something that he wanted to for a while. He honestly didn't care if was right or not, he just wanted to show her that it wasn't about the accident anymore. He had feelings for her.

Charlotte kissed back but suddenly she got scared. She was so confused about it that she pushed Roman away.

" _I'm going now, I'm sorry…"_ – said Charlotte grabbing her bag and her jacket quickly.

" _Charlotte, wait…"_ – asked Roman.

Charlotte was already out the door leaving Roman with a pile of emotions. He didn't know if he should have kissed her but that's what his heart told him to do. He wanted to go after her but maybe it was better to give Charlotte some time. Not to put pressure in her. For the first time since his divorce, he actually care about another woman that wasn't his daughter. His heart and his mind were occupied by Charlotte. There was only one reason for that: he was falling in love with her.


	6. VI - Facing Your Heart

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters, names, places or anything from World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. I only own the pure imagination used to write this fanfiction.

* * *

A kiss. Something so simple yet so complicated sometimes. It was complicated enough to keep Charlotte awake all night.

" _I can't believe he kissed me…Oh my God what does this even mean? I'm so confused…"_

As she got up and stood in front of the mirror, she realized the huge dark circles under her eyes and how bad she looked.

" _God, I look terrible. There is no way I can show up on Raw like this. Everyone is going to start asking questions and I really don't want to go into any kind of conversation about what happened last night…"_

Charlotte grabbed her makeup bag and tried to hide how tired she was so that no one could notice. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Charlotte opened it and it was her friend Sasha.

" _Good Morning!"_ – yelled Sasha to her friend.

" _Someone's happy today…"_

" _I woke up happy and decided to visit my best friend… which looks like hell."_ – said Sasha looking at Charlotte – _"Did you even sleep?"_

Apparently makeup didn't help and Charlotte tried her best to give Sasha a silly excuse.

" _Not really, I had a huge migraine."_

" _Migraine?"_ – said Sasha not really buying her friend's excuse – _"You sure that's all that is?"_

" _Yeah… but I feel better now. I took some pills."_

" _Okay…"_

Charlotte knew how hard it was to hide something from Sasha. She hated lying to her but at that moment she wasn't ready to talk about Roman or their kiss at all.

" _Anyway I'm going to the arena and thought about picking you up. We could go together: train a bit and have lunch. What do you think?"_

" _Sure, sounds great."_

" _Cool! But before we go let me help you with that makeup girl, you look like a raccoon."_ – said Sasha laughing.

" _Ha ha, so funny…"_

{WWE Arena}

" _What's wrong with you man? You're not focus on this…"_ – said Seth who was trying to train some moves with his best friend Roman but noticed that something was wrong with him.

" _Sorry man… My head is not here."_

" _Every time I look at you, it seems like your mind is always somewhere else. What's going on?"_

" _Nothing. I just need to go get some air alright?"_

" _You sure man?"_

" _Yeah, trust me on this."_

Roman got out of the ring and headed towards the outside of the arena. The kiss between him and Charlotte was all he could think about. He wanted to reach her but with all that mess, they didn't even exchange numbers.

" _I need to talk to her… Explain and understand all this between us."_

Quickly Roman realized Sasha's car heading towards the parking lot and he noticed that Charlotte was inside.

" _Okay, I have to do this now or I won't be able to focus on anything tonight."_

He followed them and waited for Charlotte to get out of the car. As soon as Charlotte saw Roman, she froze.

" _Sasha, drive."_

" _What? We just got here silly. Let's go out."_

" _Sasha, please turn the car around and let's get out of this parking lot."_

" _Char what's going on?"_ – Sasha then noticed that Roman was outside which got her even more confused. – _"Has this have anything to do with the fact that Roman is standing there?"_

" _Don't ask questions right now… Let's just get out of here please, I'll explain later."_ – asked Charlotte.

Sasha detected something was definitely going on between her friend and Roman because she had never seen Charlotte acting like that. She turned the car around and drove out the parking lot. Roman rapidly realized that Charlotte was trying to avoid him which made him feel hurt. He started questioning if he should have kissed her. Maybe she wasn't feeling the same way he was. However, she did kiss him back which got him confused. Nevertheless, he was going to reach her sooner or later: he needed to know if that kiss meant something to her or not.

{Outside the arena}

" _Okay, can you now tell me what the hell is going on?"_ – asked Sasha after stopping the car.

Charlotte was shaking. She was too confused to face Roman in that moment.

" _Char… did something happen between you and Roman?"_

" _Yeah…"_

" _Please tell me that he didn't hurt you again or something… I swear I'll kill him!"_

" _No Sasha…"_

" _Then what is it?"_

Charlotte was scared to admit what happened but she knew she couldn't hide it from her best friend.

" _He kissed me…"_

" _What?!"_ – said Sasha, staring at her friend in complete shock.

" _Don't look at me like that… I'm already so confused about all of this."_

" _I'm sorry but… a kiss?! I mean… when did that happen?"_

" _Yesterday, at his house."_

" _Wait, his house?!"_ – Sasha got even more confused – _"What were you doing at his house?"_

" _At Paige's birthday he invited me to have dinner with him. He wanted to apologize for the whole parking lot accident. So, we had dinner at his place yesterday, one thing led to another and…"_

" _You ended up kissing! Oh my God Charlotte!"_ – said Sasha smiling.

" _Why are you smiling? It's not funny, it's a confusing situation…"_

Sasha saw how her friend was feeling shy and weird about the whole thing.

" _Let me ask you something, do you like him? I mean, more than a friend…"_

" _I don't know Sasha..."_

" _You have to know. You feel this things. C'mon…"_

Suddenly Charlotte smiled.

" _He makes me feel special. I don't know how to explain it… He's a really nice guy and we have a lot in common. It's like things are simple when he's around."_

" _Oh God, you're falling for him! That's so cute!"_

" _Stop that!"_ – said Charlotte blushing.

" _Look, you need to talk to him. You can't avoid this forever."_

" _What if he was just trying to be nice? I don't want to jump into conclusions already…"_

Deep down Charlotte wanted Roman to feel the same way she did but there was no way that she could be completely sure. If there was something she didn't want was to get her heart broken and then have to face him every day at work.

" _Char, you don't know that. That's why you guys need to talk. A kiss always means something."_

" _I know… I'll talk to him later, I promise. Let's go get something to eat now."_

" _Alright… But you better talk to him or I'll push you to it!"_

That comment made Charlotte smile. She was so thankful to have such a supportive friend. She also knew Sasha was right: they had to talk about that kiss.

{Monday Night Raw time}

Roman had just left the ring after another segment with Rusev. WWE had decided to throw him into the USA Title picture and he was actually happy about it. He headed his way into the locker room to have a shower and call it a night. However, a certain music hit on the TV which instantly made Roman look. It was Charlotte's music. She was having a segment with Sasha and Roman felt mesmerized by her once again. She looked stunning as usual and she was able to deliver great promos in the ring. You could see a sparkle in Roman's eyes every time he looked at Charlotte.

" _Is it just me or someone looks very interested in Charlotte's segment?"_ – said Finn as he got into the locker room.

" _I don't know what you are talking about… Can't I watch a segment just like everyone else?"_

" _Yes you can but unlike Seth, I know there is something going on."_

" _What do you mean unlike Seth?"_

" _Look man, ever since Paige's birthday that you are acting different. Happier. And I know that has something to do with Charlotte because you guys talked at the party. You left it with the biggest smile on your face. And so did her. So don't try to hide it from me like you do with Seth. What's going on?"_

Roman was surprised by how deceptive Finn was. He was very quiet all the time but apparently he was always paying attention to details.

" _You're right. It has something to do with Charlotte…"_

Finn smiled. He knew something was going on between those two.

" _Yesterday, we had dinner together…"_

" _And?"_

" _And… I kissed her."_

Finn laughed.

" _Dude, you kissed Charlotte?! How did that happen?"_

" _I don't know…"_ – said Roman sitting on a chair – _"I like her. She makes me feel happy and… I wanted to kiss her."_

" _Wow… that's crazy man. I mean don't get me wrong, that's a good thing. If you like her, go for it."_

" _Yeah… the thing is I don't know if she feels the same. I kissed her and she left. She has been avoiding me all day."_

" _I guess you have to talk to her. Maybe she's confused about it."_

" _Maybe…"_

" _Look, her segment just finished. Just go there and talk to her."_

Roman saw Charlotte leaving the ring and he knew it was time for them to talk. He couldn't wait anymore. He looked at Finn, who gave him a look of acceptance, and left the locker room searching for Charlotte.

Charlotte and Sasha reached backstage extremely happy about how the segment went down.

" _Good work sister! Can't wait for SummerSlam!"_ – said Sasha hugging her friend.

" _Same here. I loved how the crowd was getting into the whole thing!"_

Quickly Sasha realized that Roman was walking towards them and tried not to let Charlotte know. She knew they had to talk and if she could help it happen, she would try her best.

" _Is everything okay Sasha? You look strange…"_ – said Charlotte suspecting something was happening.

" _Oh no I'm fine! Just make sure to follow your heart okay?"_

" _What do you mean follow…"_

Suddenly Charlotte felt someone whispering in her ear.

" _We need to talk. Come with me please."_

She immediately recognized that voice. It was Roman. She turned to him and froze once again.

" _C'mon, let's go to my locker room."_ – said Roman grabbing her hand.

Charlotte grabbed his hand as well and followed him. At that point she didn't even care if people were staring: she just wanted to understand what was going on between them. They reach his locker room and Roman locked the door.

" _Okay, making sure we won't get interrupted."_

Charlotte sited down in a chair with a mix of emotions going through her head. She couldn't even look at Roman at that point. That whole situation was new to her: no other man had made her feel that way.

" _Hey… are you okay?"_ – Roman noticed Charlotte couldn't look at him – _"Look, about last night…"_

" _You don't have to apologize. It was a mistake and we got caught in the moment… Don't worry…"_ – said Charlotte trying to leave the locker room.

Roman quickly putted himself between Charlotte and the door making sure she wouldn't run again.

" _Mistake? It wasn't a mistake for me and I'm not going to apologize for it."_

Surprised, Charlotte finally was able to look into his eyes.

" _It wasn't? I mean you said you didn't pay attention to women these days and then you kissed me…"_

" _Look… the kiss wasn't a mistake to me. I like you. Yeah, I said it. But if you don't feel the same it's fine, I understand it…"_ – said Roman, unlocking the door allowing Charlotte to reach it – _"If you want to go, you can go. I just needed to tell you this."_

Charlotte smiled.

" _Did he just say that he likes me? Wow…"_

She locked the door, turned to him and looked into his eyes.

" _It wasn't a mistake for me either."_ – said Charlotte, sealing those words with a kiss.

Both of them kissed each other with emotion as Roman wrapped his arms around Charlotte. He broke the kiss, surprising her.

" _What is it? You didn't want to or…"_

" _I do. A lot. Just want to make sure you want this too. I like you a lot Charlotte, you make me feel happy. I love being around you."_

Charlotte smiled at him.

" _I do want to be with you, if that's what you are asking."_

" _A boyfriend and girlfriend kind of way."_

" _You sure about that? I know you went through a hard time with your last relationship and I don't want to push you into something…"_

" _You're not. I want to give us a try. I don't want lose something good_." – said Roman caressing her face.

" _Alright."_ – answered Charlotte smiling at him.

Roman grabbed Charlotte and placed her in his lap.

" _By the way, Finn knows about our kiss. He knew something was going on and I told him… I hope it's okay."_

" _Don't worry, Sasha knows as well. I kind of had to tell her after avoiding you in the parking lot."_ – said Charlotte trying to hide herself in his arms playfully.

" _Haha, that wasn't very nice actually."_ – said Roman tickling her.

" _Oh my God stop!"_ – said Charlotte laughing.

" _Apologize then."_ – said Roman smiling.

" _Okay okay, you win!"_ – said Charlotte kissing him.

Roman kissed her back and looked into her eyes. They both stared at each other as if the whole world stopped. There was no denying that they made one another happy. Now it was time to see if they could share their happiness with the world and face what's ahead.


End file.
